I’ve been in the news a bit

…for switching to independent, from my previous registration as a Democrat. Here is one piece of coverage.

Maine is an independent state and we’re independent thinkers. We don’t like being told what to do or how to do it. In the Maine legislature, I’ve found that many lobbyists and special interest groups often try to influence state legislators by any means possible; including political party affiliation. Even the parties themselves attempt to sway the votes of their party’s members by strongly encouraging them to “vote the party line”. I’ve been told, I know this isn’t right for your district but we really need your vote on this. Can you believe that? I believe that this type of partisan decision making is a truly ineffective means of building consensus for the betterment of Maine and our country.

Last session, I was ranked the most bipartisan legislator and I’m well on my way to winning that award again. And as a bipartisan legislator, I have always tried to remain as neutral as possible in order to take a stance against party conformity and to make better decisions on behalf of my constituents. So in order to more accurately reflect my voting record and independent beliefs, I decided to un-enroll from the Democratic party. Moving forward I will continue to work hard as ever in Augusta to be the voice of reason and progress for the people of Biddeford and the State of Maine.

The folks who sent me to Augusta don’t want me to take a pure obstructionist approach. They want me to sit at the table and try to get things done. Fix, not fight. Let’s get to work. Your thoughts?